Compare towns
Chicopee vs Sterling vs West Springfield Town
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Chicopee has the most renters (44.3% rent).
Sterling has the highest household income ($103k).
West Springfield Town has the most expensive homes ($322k median).
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | Chicopee | Sterling | West Springfield Town |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 55,295Highest |
3,629Lowest |
28,772 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +0.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | +1.6%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.9±1.4Highest 8% above U.S. |
39.4±5.9Lowest about the U.S. average |
40.1±2.6 3% above U.S. |
| Chicopee and West Springfield Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.2%±1.7 U.S.: 22% |
22.8%±5.9Highest U.S.: 22% |
18.9%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Sterling and Chicopee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.5%±1.4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
13%±3.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
17.5%±1.7 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Chicopee and West Springfield Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 22.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
18%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
34%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±0.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.7%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.7%±1.3Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $62,615±$6kLowest 22% below U.S. |
$102,695±$12kHighest 27% above U.S. |
$69,371±$7k 14% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $274,500±$8kLowest 17% below U.S. |
$283,400±$17k 15% below U.S. |
$321,500±$16kHighest 3% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,157±$50Highest 18% below U.S. |
— | $1,144±$68Lowest 19% below U.S. |
| Chicopee and West Springfield Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847Lowest 23% above U.S. |
$4,551Highest 46% above U.S. |
$4,380 40% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52%±5.6 U.S.: 51.1% |
32%±18.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
60.1%±9.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| West Springfield Town and Chicopee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 17.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
11.9% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 55.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
81.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
58.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1958Lowest 22 yrs older than U.S. |
1988Highest 8 yrs newer than U.S. |
1958Lowest 22 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 min 19% below U.S. |
35 minHighest 34% above U.S. |
19 minLowest 27% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 8%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
11.6%±6.4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.4%±2.4 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Sterling and West Springfield Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #247 of 282 in MA | #119 of 149 in CT | #218 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Chicopee | Sterling School District | West Springfield |
| High school in town | Chicopee Comprehensive High School | None in town | West Springfield High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.2Lowest |
— | 13.1Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.